Batavia Schools Receive High Marks

Quality education has always been important to Batavia. From the very beginning, the city has put a high value on education when the first settlers started a school within the first seven months of being in the area. The City’s school district — Batavia Public School District No. 101 — is a K-12 Community Unit District with six elementary schools as well as a middle and high school. The current enrollment is roughly 6,200 students. BPS 101 was founded in 1911, when the westside and eastside school districts of Batavia combined to form a single district.

District 101 serves an area of close to 20 square miles. Students consistently score higher than the national average on basic skills exams with many students scoring above the national average in all areas including reading, language, math and science. High achievement scores are one of the many reasons the district is ranked as one of the best in Illinois. In addition, more than 80% of high school graduates continue their education at the college and university level.

In 2008, Batavia High School began construction on an expansion to the building and to meet the needs of the growing younger population, the district also began construction of a new home for the Early Childhood Program as a continuation of the Alice Gustafson School. This new building will enable the district to enhance its already reputable services for preschool.

Batavians also have several private facilities to choose from to match their education preferences. There’s a highly regarded Montessori School in Batavia and several churches in the area offering a faith-based preschool and elementary education. In 2008, Holy Cross Catholic Church opened a new school providing a Catholic education option for the area. There are also several private high school options a short distance from Batavia.

Since 1913, Batavia has been home to Mooseheart Child City and School, a residential childcare facility with a 1,000 acre campus. The Child City is a home for children and teens in need, from infancy through high school. Run by the Moose fraternal organization, Mooseheart cares for youth whose families are unable, for a wide variety of reasons, to care for them. Whatever the reason, Mooseheart furnishes the resources necessary to care for children in need.

Highly regarded higher education campuses are also a short distance from Batavia. Aurora University is an accredited university offering degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. With approximately 4,000 students enrolled part and full time, Aurora University also offers a number of programs and services for area community members.

Waubonsee Community College is a two-year institution of higher learning, which has provided educational programs and services to thousands of students since its founding in 1966. There are two campuses in Aurora and one in Sugar Grove. Transfer programs are available for students looking to attend a four-year college or university and career education programs allow students to enter the workforce quickly. Residents can also enroll in developmental education programs or take classes for professional development or personal enrichment.

The location of Batavia is also convenient to Northern Illinois University and the many renowned colleges and universities throughout the Chicagoland area.